Xtreme Horsepower 2010 In The Books

The fourth annual Xtreme Horsepower at Georgian Downs kicked off with a bang as a world record was set in the first race of the evening.

In the $15,000 Xtreme Rush, an open 3/8 mile pace, Spago Hall (Scott Zeron) outgunned favoured Blissed Out (Simon Allard) to the lead and wouldn't give it up en route to the win by a length in :38.1 over Blissed Out with Risky Rich (Scott Coulter) in third.

The time of :38.1 establishes a new world record over the distance by a full second over Pacific Mariner's old mark set at Xtreme Horsepower 2008.

It's the 12th lifetime win for Spago Hall, a six-year-old gelded son of Blissfull Hall - Spectre Almahurst who is trained by Joe Stutzman and owned by Don Lescheid.

After easily cruising to victory in Georgian's Labatt's Claiming Series, favoured Maple Leaf Quix just as easily adapted to racing an extra lap with a dominant performance in the $20,000 Xtreme Challenge, a trot with 17 horses (one scratch) going 1-5/8 miles.

As Devils Magic (Anthony MacDonald) reached the mile marker in 2:02.2, Dan Clements was third over with Maple Leaf Quix and flipped the switch on her just past the mile, going three wide around the turn and clearing to the lead down the backstretch. With Devils Magic unable to conjure up any sort of retaliatory response, Clements and 'Quix' were long gone before early pocket sitter Stonebridge Royal (Mike Langdon) were able to find room again in the stretch. It was too little, too late for the lion's share of the purse but they did manage to get second with Striking Lightning (Paul MacKenzie) third. Maple Leaf Quix was a comfortable winner in 3:18.3.

Owned by Charlene Kennedy and trained by Marty Fine, Maple Leaf Quix (Black River - Maple Leaf Legacy) is now two-for-two for the new connections since the August 13 claim.

Gate to wire performances aren't all that common with distances over a mile, but don't tell that to Greystone Cash and driver Mike Landgon who wired eight other slightly confused foes in the $20,000 Xtreme Rewind Pace, featuring nine horses at a distance of 1-1/4 miles and raced clockwise. After setting all the fractions, Greystone Cash held off Chelemark Cam (Anthony MacDonald) by a long neck with Big Bam Ray (Simon Allard) third in 2:23.2 - a new Canadian record over the distance no matter which direction it's raced.

Between races 3 and 4, the Xtreme Miniature Race went postward with Casie Coleman's Jersey Boy and driver Aaron Byron holding on for the win.

The $20,000 Xtreme Shotgun Trot is raced at 1-1/4 miles with a walking start. The winning move came down the backstretch the first time as favoured Pricevalleyrevitup made a rush to the front that made the field look as though they were still walking. Despite a spirited bid for the lead from Dash Car (Daniel Potvin) from the 5/8 mile until the top of the stretch, Pricevalleyrevitup prevails by four lengths in 2:29.3, equaling Abbey Road C's Canadian record. Suzys Solitaire (Dave Haney) and Hall Of Wishes (Scott Coulter) completed the triactor.

Pricevalleyrevitup is a four-year-old gelding from Revenue, out of the Bonefish mare Shattered. Dennis Rich trains for Aden Peake and Rhonda Rich.

In the $20,000 Xtreme Challenge Pace over a distance 1-5/8 miles, Tapioca Blues (Anthony MacDonald) appeared to be the one to beat. MacDonald had early intentions on the front end heading three wide into the first turn to make the lead and was more than five lengths the best as the field hit the final turn...before rolling offstride. Sauble Jackson (WIlliam Byron) was handed the lead on a silver platter and held off Dash Away All (Simon Allard) by a length in 3:12.3 with Blazing Sakra (Stephane Brosseau) in third.

A homebred of Sauble Hill Farms and trained by Larry Hall, Sauble Jackson now has 39 lifetime wins and earnings in excess of $314,000.

Not to be undone by the minis, the 2010 Xtreme Mascot Obstacle Dash had to be seen to be believed.

Scott Zeron picked up his second win of the night aboard Awesum Best, a repeat winner in the $15,000 Xtreme Sprint, with nine horses pacing their absolute hardest over one-eighth of a mile. Pacing mare Awesum Best was awesome and the best, winning in 12 and 2/5 seconds, with Red Star Volcano (Barry Treen) and Mathers Crombie (Stephane Pouliot) rounding out the top three.

John Curran trains Awesum Best (Cammibest - Silver Face), now a 13-time winner for Ken Curran.

Despite having to race four times around, the $25,000 Xtreme Classic Trot with 18 horses over a distance of 2-1/2 miles provided a surprisingly close finish from a pair of second tier starters. Perhaps not so surprising is that a French-bred and owned horse with experience racing at longer distances was victorious.

Jackpot Emotion, a 13-year-old Permadour Gede gelding held off 48-1 shot SJs Stormtrooper (Daniel Potvin) - who coincidentally finished second in this event last year as well - in a time of 5:12.3. Valvec (Mike Langdon) grabbed show dough.

Philippe Gentil of Ormesson Sur Marne, France owns and Frederik Maine trains and drives the classy veteran Jackpot Emotion, who surpassed the $450,000 mark in lifetime earnings with the win.

In the first $10,000 Xtreme Battle elimination, raced in heats over 5/8 of a mile, driver Simon Allard had favoured Real Energy making a move for the front around the final turn and ducked his horse into the pocket to save ground and energy. That kind of strategy could prove valuable in a heat race setting as Allard was able to guide his pacer back to the outside after the turn and win his elim in 1:09.3 over Bunny Talk (Aaron Byron), Arts Day (Dan Clements) and Roses Scholar (Scott Zeron).

Also qualifying for the $20,000 Xtreme Battle final are JMs Stealth (MacKenzie), Dusty Lane Tate (Travis Henry) and Alikeable (Clements).

Horseman Nick Boyd was the winner of the 2010 Xtreme Horseless Sulky Pull, a charity event featuring trainers and drivers in the bike sans standardbreds.

Think Gold was thinking win and nothing else as driver Mike Langdon notched his third driving win of the night in the $20,000 Xtreme Rewind Trot, with nine horses going 1-1/4 miles clockwise. Langdon and Think Gold made every call a winning one en route to the Canadian record 2:28.3 score, with second going to Unbounded River (Allard) and Daylon Mistress (Coulter) rounding out the top three.

Trained by Rob Fellows, Think Gold (Mr Lavec - Next Victom) is owned by Ed Wilson and Michael Pozefsky. The graudate of the Ontario Sires Stales program is approaching $550,000 in lifetime earnings.

After three laps in the $25,000 Xtreme Showdown Invitational Pace, over a distance of 1-7/8 miles, an extreme stretch battle ensued between Pauls Pass (Zeron) and MD Hardlys Success (Allard). When the dust settled, Pauls Pass gave Zeron his third win of the night by a scant nose in 3:45.4. JL Tiger (Red Doucet) finished third but was placed second as MD Hardlys Success was placed back due to interference. Shes Fly N (MacKenzie)was bumped up from fourth to third.

A recent claim by Brenton Harris and Stephen Johnson, Pauls Pass is now three-for-three since entering the barn of Dave Tyrrell. Pauls Pass represented the province of Alberta in the Xtreme Showdown.

Saving the best for last, driver Jonathan Drury ended Xtreme night with an extreme upset and a dramatic stretch rally to capture the $20,000 Xtreme Battle final with Sasha Raider. As the fifth place finisher to make the final, Drury was part of a cavalry of horses that closed on early leader Bunny Talk (A. Byron) in deep stretch in a frenzied finish and managed to trip the timer as the longest shot on the board (30-1) in 1:10 with Arts Day (Clements) in second and Bunny Talk staying for third.

thanks to all involved...weather fantastic.
and the horses and horsemen appeared to all get back to the barns safely

watched the show from toronto on net.

Gary Guy, nicely done.......(there arent alot of 18 horse fields at Flamboro)
***and congrats on the Jackpot Emotion stretch drive hanging on to win call,,,suggesting after all that distance covered, the race would still be decided by so close a margin.

as you'd expect with large purses, more often than not, the cream rose to the top last night with the results.

**didnt't see it, but when the 1/8 mile, 12 second sprint came down the lane, 9 abreast, did the railbirds take cover?,,,just in case the outside two or three literally took off.
They were flying no doubt.